Reunion
by Moonlight19
Summary: She was once a part of them. A girl no one could ever forget. Now she's back and kicking up dust. Long hidden emotions rise to the surface. What will have changed for Alec, Max and the other occupants of TC when the dust finally settles?
1. Chapter 1

**REUNION**

**- by Moonlight -**

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**Chapter 1**

"Go back to where you come from you monsters!" Shouted one of the mob angrily, throwing his fists into the air. It was a scary sight as all the people surrounding him actually agreed with him. Not all of them were shouting, but that didn't matter. The placards they carried and their faces so full of anger and hate showed their feelings in all clarity.

The sight let her feel all the desperation she had been trying to bury so deep inside herself well up all over again.

The feeling grew stronger and stronger until she felt like she would burst at any minute.

Without even realizing it her feet took on a life of their own and carried her to the front of the screaming mass of people. So fixed were they on their shouting they didn't even react as she was walking past them.

Anger started to boil in her veins;

How could they do something like that?

Wishing them back to a place that was worse than hell?

They didn't even know who and what they were talking about, they were just judging without any knowledge!

Her light blue eyes blazing; tears streaming down her face, she was a view nobody who looked at her would ever forget. A girl standing in front of them, average in height but way too thin, she looked like she hadn't eaten anything in weeks, her cheeks hollow and cavernous. But it was her eyes, eyes that were haunted; full of desperation and hurt, that forced everyone who did acknowledge her presence, to look away quickly again; they just couldn't stand it . Her long, once gold-blond hair was stringy and her clothes didn't show any colour anymore.

She was a shocking sight. The only lively thing about her was her eyes. They burned with a furious fire, betraying the tears that were tickling down her face and the sobs shaking her body. It was the braveness of desperation that lead her on.

She didn't want to feel anything anymore; she no more wanted to hear their shouts of hatred because they pained her to no end.

To her every word they were shouting felt as if she was again hearing those terrible shots – almost breaking her and bruising her whole body.

These monsters they were talking about, these transgenics – they were talking about her family.

The family she once had.

The family that had been taken from her: leaving her all alone, lost and hurting, forever.

She loved her parents with all her heart but they couldn't fill this big hole inside her heart either. Nobody would ever be able to make her feel alive again.

When she had been in the jungle with them doing things she never thought possible and experiencing feelings that she had never felt before a bond began to form that got thicker and thicker with each hour until nobody could break it anymore .Their hearts and their souls were joined forever. She could be alone in the dark without actually being alone. They were always with her, just as she was with them.

She never talked to her parents about the ones who had changed her life forever and had given her something she had craved her whole life. But one day, she felt like she couldn't take the pain alone anymore without falling apart and she wanted to finally tell them about what happened during the weeks she had been away. She wanted them to take all her pain away like they could do when she was young, but she knew it was a hopeless wish.

She never got to tell them though… fate chose exactly that day to call for her Mom and her Dad.

The only people she had left, it took them away from her as well. Both were killed in a car accident when they were on their way home from the theatre.

She didn't know why she had not ended her own life yet -there was nobody and nothing important left to her. She had wanted to so many times and she had even been about to do just that quite a few times, but each time there was something invisible holding her back. A feeling in the pit of her stomach; a tugging on her heart. She didn't understand it, but it had stayed her hand each time.

Now here she was, standing in front of a huge crowd of people venting their hatred towards the transgenics to the world, a deadly hatred. Somehow she didn't feel scared at all, she didn't care anymore. They couldn't do anything to her she hadn't want to do to herself so many times already. All they could do was to take away this terrible ache from inside her and honestly she wouldn't mind that at all.

She had had enough, she wouldn't take it anymore! She wouldn't allow these people to talk about them like that anymore! They were talking about her family! She wouldn't let them anymore. Even though everyone of her family was dead. Every single one.

The ones inside TC were almost as much her family as they had been. She didn't know them, she had never met them but she would die for them; wanted to die for them. Only then she would know that she did the only right thing to show her love for them to the whole world.

She didn't care that she was crying desperately, she didn't even realize it. All she knew was that she wanted to make them stop. Without caring about the reporter who was standing not far from her she climbed on one of the big barrels that were lying all around the perimeter fence. It was partly blacken with ash as the protestors had been using them as fire bins.

Straightening herself to her full height, she looked out over the crowd in front of her; she hadn't even realised that she got the full attention of the reporter and her camera boy who was currently zooming in on her back because the crowd was blocking his way to get her from the front. Neither did she hear their cussing; she just knew she had to make them listen to whatever she might say…

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"Alec, look at this!"

Dix shouted across the room to catch Alec's attention. He and Max had been busy going through some plans for their next heist but at Dix' call they were coming over to the TV, curious about what might be happening outside instead of the usual screaming mob that actually had Dix interested like that.

"Maaaxiiiee, you know... curiosity killed the cat, did I hear Dix calling YOUR name?"

Alec smirked at Max who was walking beside him, only to be slapped on his shoulder.

"Ouch! That hurt" he whined while making puppy dog eyes at her.

She groaned.

Before she could utter any further response they were standing beside Dix and of course got what the transhuman wanted to show them immediately.

"Now what? Another oh so lovely speech about how we all are supposed to be killed because we are a danger to mankind? That's old news."

But if Max hoped to get some sort of reaction from her friends, she failed. There was something of a commotion outside the fence to be seen on the screen, the camera zooming in on a girl whose back was to them. It seemed like she wanted to make an actual speech.

"Look at her", Logan who had come to join them, even though nobody had asked for his company, muttered in disgust . "How can you possibly be interested in someone that seamy? She is nothing more than a skin and bone, she is filthy, not worth any of our attention. Just look at her clothes, she can't even afford clean ones, how could she be of any interest to us?"

He casually used 'us' as if he was part of them, which he definitely wasn't as far as the other transgenics were concerned. He didn't even seem to notice everyone stiffen. Then it happened; so fast that Logan didn't even catch the movement.

Suddenly, his feet weren't touching the ground anymore and he was pressed up against the wall roughly. His eyes bulging he looked down into Alec's stormy wild eyes.

"Don't you ever dare to call her something like that again. Not ever! Understood?"

His right hand squeezing on Logan's throat giving a bit more pressure to affirm his words. His dangerously quiet voice and tense body made even Max falter in her steps to help Logan.

She had never seen Alec act like that. But to hell with it! He was the one who screwed up her life! He was the one without any sense of responsibility, the one who was much more likely to flee from it! How dare he speak to Logan like that!

"What the hell do you think you are doing! Let him down STAT!"

Her bad attitude towards him getting the better of her she started to yell at Alec. Alec didn't even move a muscle and now it was Max' turn to be even more shocked .He never opposed, he always gave in!

"Not before he promised", Alec growled.

Logan hurriedly nodded his head, his fear showing in his face. Alec let go of him without any other comment. Max stared at his strained back at a loss for words, still dumbfounded of what they just witnessed as his eyes went back to the screen, her eyes following his every movement .

Of course the three of them had caused a lot of attention among the other transgenics and only reluctantly did they get back to work. Only Cece and Kaz , one of the new arrivals, a member of Alec's and Cece's pack, walked up beside the still rage-shaking transgenic and moved beside him, slightly touching his shoulders .

The feeling of them that close to him calmed him down and the trembling stopped. His two friends changed worried glances. They had instantly known that something was wrong when they saw that feral look on his face but they also knew not to pressure him.

Alec didn't do react like that for nothing, whatever his reasons were; it had to be something that troubled him a lot. That was something they knew sure as hell, having known him for many years now and it made especially Cece quite angry to see that Max still didn't know him at all and didn't even bother with a simple WHY.

No of course she didn't, jumping to her own conclusions was much more effective.

Cece's bitter thoughts were getting the better of her.

How could Max actually defend Logan over her own kind ? Especially over Alec!

She just couldn't understand it and didn't really want to either.

Cece had already made up her mind to tell Max exactly what she thought of her and had just opened her mouth when she saw Kaz shaking his head with a serious expression upon his face pointing towards Alec's errant form, his dark blue eyes held a troubled look.

As soon as she cast a glance into Alec's face Cece too knew that something was terribly wrong. Worse even than they both had thought earlier. What they could see in his face made them almost tremble.

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_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything to do with Dark Angel. But I do own my original characters and nobody can make me  
get rid of them:)_

**A/N: This is my first story :) Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think !**


	2. Chapter 2

**REUNION**

- by Moonlight -

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Chapter 2

_Cece had already made up her mind to tell Max exactly what she thought of her and had just opened her mouth when she saw Kaz shaking his head with a serious expression upon his face pointing towards Alec's errant form, his dark blue eyes held a troubled look._

_As soon as she cast a glance into Alec's face Cece too knew that something was terribly wrong. Worse even than they both had thought earlier. What they could see in his face made them almost tremble_

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Alec himself was feeling out of his depth. Million of thoughts kept racing through his head while he stared at the TV intently.

He had just reacted without even a conscious thought when he had pushed Logan up against the wall. He had been watching the back of the girl on the screen and only listening to Max and Logan with one ear when he suddenly snapped, just like that. Without having even a second to think about it .He had just thrown Logan against the wall after he heard the man talking about that skinny girl on the screen in such a snotty way. He had not been able to help himself.

Growling unconsciously at the thought of Logan again, Kaz looked at him inquiringly but Alec didn't see. He was lost in his own thoughts.

First there had been this weird tug on his heart and the next second he had been facing Logan. Not that he felt guilty or anything, he didn't particularly like the guy but it wasn't like him to just act without any reason. He shook his head uneasily, there still was a strange feeling inside him and he felt like he needed to know what that was about. It seemed to be vital.

His eyes were still fixed on the shabby clothes of the girl on TV when she got zoomed in even more and then started speaking.

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Her voice trembling with tears she was facing the crowd.

"What do you know ? What the hell do you know !"

Her raspy voice got louder by the second and no one could fail to hear her desperation.

"What do you know at all? You don't have a clue what you are talking about, not the smallest idea! You want them to go back to where they come from? Do you know where that is and what they made them do there, what they did to them? It was our government who created them, created them to HELP our country doing jobs nobody else could. Jobs that were saving YOUR lives!

They are different than you are, right, but do you think they asked to be different? Nobody cared to ask them, nobody gave them a chance! They were trained to do what the government wanted them to do. Can you blame them that they wanted to escape? Escape from a world that only hurt them in a way nobody of you will ever be able to imagine? Can you blame them for wanting a life of their own, one where they won't be hunted down?"

Sobs were wracking her fragile body hard now, but she didn't stop.

"They have the same rights as we have, even more after all OUR government did to them! There may be some of them, who don't look like we do but they have just the same feelings as we do. They feel pain and hurt, they can feel joy and happiness, anger and sadness!"

Angry shouts tried to stop her but she was determined and now her eyes were hot like fire again when she started to attack the man who wanted to interrupt her.

"Stop it! What do you want to tell us? They killed? They killed some of you? And what did you do! You are hunting them down, YOU are killers too! With the slight difference that they were trained to kill, it was their job that was put upon them to save YOU. So, they killed, yeah they did. They care for each other strongly, they are a family, and they are protecting each other, just as you are! Who can blame them for that? Not only did you kill members of their packs but people did the same where they come from, they had to watch each other die without being able to do anything against it, I never wanna feel like I did then, they left me alone..."

Her last words were almost not audible, carried by a tiny voice and only the people closest could make them out.

A deadly silence had descended as she climbed down from the barrel. They parted to open up a passage to let her passed; nobody was brave enough to hold her back. They were all too much taken aback by what they saw in her face. All life had left it; her eyes didn't look fierce anymore, but broken and shallow.

Soon, she was walking down the street, not knowing where she was going. The only thought left inside her was to finally join her family...She had done her part, no reason left for living anymore. In the distance she could see the welcoming heights of the Space Needle.

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The crowd got restless, looks were shared but nobody knew what to say. They looked up the fence and back after the girl.

A drunkard went on screaming and raging, fists punching into the air as if fighting invisible transgenics, too far gone to get what this little girl had wanted to tell them.

Maybe if he hadn't been as enthusiastic but more serious right now, others had followed his example but the loud, harsh way in which he was screaming out his hatred towards the transgenics in TC let most of the other bystanders wince. Looking at the bellowing human being made them feel disgusted with themselves.

They had been exactly like him only few minutes earlier and now it felt so wrong.

It hurt them having to listen to this wreck of a man shouting obscenities.

More and more people lowered their heads in shame and without making any eye contact turned around and started to walk away. Away from TC and the transgenics; away from their own hate and fear.

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Inside TC all hell had broken loose when the apparently young girl started to talk.

More and more transgenics had come to stand around the TV to listen but Alec didn't see any of them. Neither did Kaz or Cece. As soon as the first words had left the girl's mouth the three of them froze. Their muscles tensed so much that none of the others dared to touch them at all in fear that they would just break apart. Similar looks could be seen in all three pair of eyes that were wide open right now.

It caught Max's breath to look into Alec's face. She had never seen such a mixture of heavy desperation, sadness, disbelief, excitement and joy at once on anyone. Never. Not even when his memories about Rachel came back had he looked like that. Like everything he cared about in the whole world was this girl on TV.

Max felt anguish surging through her at that thought, her heart contracting painfully.

All Alec could do was stare. Stare at the TV, at the girl in the centre of it.

He couldn't move or talk; he was frozen to the spot. He was willing the reporter to show her from the front, he needed to see her face, he needed to. His life depended upon it. He was shaken to the bone. Yet he was terrified, he didn't want his hopes to be crushed all over again. He just knew he wouldn't be able to survive loosing her a second time. He wanted it to be her, it had to be her. Because if it wasn't... if he was wrong, his world would be in pieces and he wouldn't be able to pick them up this time.

Only when a heavy breath left his body, did he realize that he was holding it. His knuckles had turned white and blood was tripping down his hand. He didn't realize tears were trickling down his cheeks and over his handsome face that was full of desperation right now. But the other transgenics did and seeing their leader like that, seeing the cruel pain in his eyes, scared them. They were hurting for him but they knew they couldn't do anything besides keeping silent.

Cece and Kaz were pressing their hips unconsciously against him in search of comfort, Alec didn't need to see their faces to know that they were battling emotions similar to his own. He thought, they had lost her, they all did. Manticore might not have killed her, but they had taken away everything that once had been her. They had only left the shell of the girl they all loved deeply.

Or so they had thought.

When she had been brought out of Psy Ops, she didn't recognize him. She looked at him without any emotion, without the slightest hint of recognition in her empty eyes.

They had broken her. And with breaking her, they had broken him as well. Then he had given up.

She didn't recognize any of her family, not him, nor Jill. Not Cece, Biggs or Kaz...nobody. It almost killed them, the only thought that kept them going, was the one to be free of Manticore one day, find her and get back the warm-hearted and courageous girl, who had wriggled her way into everyone's heart to stay there forever.

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_Preview:_

_All his senses were completely fixed on the girl beside him only few steps away. "San...Sanji?" He whispered shakily, his voice rough with restrained emotions._

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything to do with Dark Angel. But I do own my original characters and nobody can make me   
get rid of them:)_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

A/N: Here you go ! The second chapter all for you! Thanks for all your reviews, I am really curious about your reactions to the new chapter. Let me know, ok?

Disclaimer: Unfortunately Dark Angel isn't mine! But at least the original characters are mine :)


	3. Chapter 3

**REUNION**

- by Moonlight -

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Chapter 3

_They had broken her. And with breaking her, they had broken him as well. Then he had given up._

_She didn't recognize any of her family, not him, nor Jill. Not Cece, Biggs or Kaz...nobody. It almost killed them, the only thought that kept them going, was the one to be free of Manticore one day, find her and get back the warm-hearted and courageous girl, who had wriggled her way into everyone's heart to stay there forever._

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Why couldn't this stupid camera show her face? He wanted to see her face, he needed to! He recognized her voice... but what if he was wrong? What if it wasn't her?

He began panicking when she climbed down that barrel.

She couldn't go. She couldn't leave him now! Not before he had seen her. And never if it really was her! His heartbeat increased and his eyes began to move rapidly searching the screen for any clue – but the girl was already walking away, with her back still to them.

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"Now, do you care to tell us who that was?"

Alec was frozen in shock and helplessness but Max's question shook him out of the state he was in and brought him back to reality. His brain finally caught up with his heart and within the blink of an eye he was blurring out of headquarters, not bothering to reply, leaving speechless transgenics behind, not including Cece and Kaz who were following Alec closely.

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"What the..." Max yelled incredulous, her temper getting the better of her, "He can't be serious! That jerk is getting himself killed running right into the mob! He can't expect me save his sorry ass every time he gets into trouble! When will he start to take responsibility for his actions?

Not only will he get himself killed but Cece and Kaz, too! You should think Biggs' death finally forced him to grow up but nooo. He is a transgenic damn it but he acts like a five year old without any common sense! I will never understand how Manticore could make him CO!"

Fuming Max grabbed her jacket before blurring after them, still fighting these weird feelings inside her with all her mind. She wouldn't loose him, not to death and not to a foreign girl! But why did she care? After all she couldn't loose someone she never had. The thought should have been a comforting one but somehow it was the opposite. Her heart stung at that thought.

But what about Logan? He was the one she had been fighting for all the time in a desperate try to get back what they had lost. In a try to find a cure so she could finally be with the man she loved. It was all Alec's fault! If it wasn't for him...

Being preoccupied like that she didn't notice the hostile and angry glances directed at her. They had put up with her bitching about Alec because he told them to stay out of it and they respected him too much to go against his wishes. But this time Max had gone to far.

The transgenics in TC were still shaken by Alec's reaction and strongly worried about him but Max? Max didn't care about his feelings, only about herself. She may be the self-appointed leader of TC but their real leader was no other than Alec and it was time Max got to learn about that the hard way.

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The three transgenics jumped the perimeter fence without caring about the people standing behind it. Their only thought left inside them, was the girl who was walking away from them slowly. They wouldn't let her disappear again, because deep down in their hearts they already knew, it was her.

Alec had known from the beginning when he felt this weird tug in his heart but he still didn't dare to believe it.

Some people were knocked to the side but they didn't even have the strength to get angry ,they felt exhausted after their fury had gone, leaving them behind with nothing but their conscience that started to pull them down. They also realized that they had come for the girl. The reporter did too and made her cameraman follow them, giving the transgenics inside TC the chance to follow the events outside.

It appeared that everyone was holding their breath when Alec, Cece and Kaz finally reached the girl in the distance.

The hectic reporter cursed because she realized her cameraman wouldn't be fast enough to catch the conversation.

They came to a halt only few steps away from the retreating back of the girl. Cece and Kaz looked at Alec and suddenly he felt as afraid as never before in his life. He extended his hand to touch her shoulders but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

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It was her, he could smell her familiar scent but he could also smell her devastation and he cringed inside .He wasn't able to take away his eyes from her for even a second.. There could have been White's Familars around him right now and he wouldn't even have realized. All his senses were completely fixed on the girl beside him only few steps away.

"San...Sanji?" He whispered shakily, his voice rough with restrained emotions.

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There was that tug again, this all too familiar tug at her heart, only this time it was much stronger than it ever was before. It reminded her of feelings she once had, feelings she once received - but that was a long time ago. They were all dead.

A small tear trickled down her cheek, she wouldn't be alone for a long time anymore, soon she would be with them again. No more feeling hollow and empty. No more feeling devastated, sad and alone. Cold and afraid. Even though there seemed to be something that wanted to hold her back, she kept on walking towards the Space Needle, her haven.

It had been too much, she was an empty shell now, walking around, having lost all connection to the conscious part of herself. She couldn't think anymore, couldn't remember, all she could do was feeling the coldness inside her.

There was a voice beside her, a familiar one , but Sanji kept walking without faltering in her steps. She wanted to turn around but her body didn't do what she wanted it to. She was captured in her own mind. She knew this voice! She did! She had to turn around, she just had, she knew it!

This voice, it couldn't be! It had been her life for a while before they took it away from her, before he left her! It couldn't be, her mind was playing tricks on her. Inside she fought with herself, to make herself turn around.

It felt like ages until she finally was able to do so. To the outside she still looked the same with hollow eyes but inside she was awake again, screaming to be set free .

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Max stopped dead in her track when she saw the scene in front of her. All three transgenics gathered around this girl with similar expressions on their faces. A mixture of hope, sorrow, disbelief and most of all fear.

Such gazes had never been directed at her. Alec had never looked at her like that.

Suddenly she felt tired, oh so tired. All anger leaving her, her shoulders slumped down. The wall she had erected around her heart crumbled and then broke down entirely when Alec extended his shaking hand to touch the girl. There she was, finally admitting to herself that she had fallen in love with the hazel-eyed transgenic, when at last she was just able to turn away from her bitchy attitude towards him, taking every feeling of happiness, vibrancy and belonging with him – leaving only self-hatred and pain.

With eyes as dry as sandpaper of un-cried tears, she watched them immobile, torturing herself. She would never see his eyes on her with such a breathtaking look of love, she would never get to feel his soft lips on hers and never could she enjoy the pleasure in telling him she loved him.

Never.

He didn't love her and even if he did...she didn't deserve him. His lips would be on someone else's ...and she would watch and break inside over and over again because that was what she deserved for treating Alec the way she did , as an annoying side-kick who never could do anything right. After one last glance she turned around, walking away without any spirit left in her.

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_Preview_

_Slowly he lowered his head until his lips were only millimetres from her own; as if he were asking for permission he stopped for a second and looked up into her glittering eyes again with something like hesitancy shining in his own._

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_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything to do with Dark Angel. But I do own my original characters and nobody can make me get rid of them:)_


	4. Chapter 4

**REUNION**

**- by Moonlight -**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_He didn't love her and even if he did...she didn't deserve him. His lips would be on someone else's ...and she would watch and break inside over and over again because that was what she deserved for treating Alec the way she did , as an annoying side-kick who never could do anything right. After one last glance she turned around, walking away without any spirit left in her._

_

* * *

_

He held his breathe when the girl finally turned around painfully slowly. Lifeless blue eyes looked back into his scared darker ones. He could hear Cece's sharp intake of breathe. Not only to her but to him too it felt like being slapped across his face.

Those weren't the eyes that were familiar to them, not the laughing ones, that he had loved to look into. Not the thoughtful ones, they got to see only few times. And not the loving ones he had come to depend on. These eyes they didn't know. No life was inside of them, not even the smallest spark.

It was her, her face, her hair, everything. But her soul was missing.

Kaz heard a strangled sob and suddenly realized it was him whose tears where flowing down his cheeks faster and faster. That was the reason why he had stayed back, stayed behind Alec, who was the first to approach their girl. His emotions had almost been strangling him and he had been afraid to start sobbing like a little child .

A child he never had been.

But when he saw Alec outstretching his hand to touch Sanji, he couldn't take it. Sanji was his and he would be damned if he would just stand there watching while someone else touched her. Not even Alec. So before his CO could gather his courage, Kaz had already pushed him to the side growling low in his throat to stand beside her himself and wisphered her name shakily.

Devastated he now caught Sanji in his strong arms and pulled her towards his warm body. He held her close and didn't want to ever let her go. He was too late, he was too late. It couldn't be, what had they done? What had happened to her, who did that to her? It couldn't be that they found her just to realize it was too late!

Alec and Cece joined him in surrounding Sanji and their tears mixed with his own upon her head. _They_ had lost their adopted little sister to Manticore - but _he_ had lost the most important thing in his life to them.

* * *

Being pulled against a strong chest, Sanji could feel a frantic heartbeat beside her ear. Unconsciously she snuggled closer and breathed deeply. She knew this scent. She closed her eyes feeling all comfortable .So she was at home again. She didn't have to struggle with her life anymore; it was finally taken away from her. No more pain. She was back in the jungle with her pack. Back with Alec, Cece, Jill and the others. And most importantly back with Kaz finally.

_It was a cold night, without any stars lightening the dark. Only their fire gave a little warmth. They all moved their sleeping bags as near together as possible, hugging each other to not give in to the cold. Kaz was hugging her tightly to his chest and Alec was holding her cold fingers. Warm and cosy, feeling safe, she fell asleep. She was with her family, nothing could happen to her._

It was the wetness on her face that disturbed her. It didn't rain, so where did the wetness come from? Sanji's heart was screaming at her, wanted to tell her something, but she didn't understand. Confused the girl opened her eyes, which had been closed until then. She realized she wasn't lying on the floor either, she was standing.

How could it be? But the scent of her family was around her, so she had to be safe. Puzzled, she looked down on the heads that were pressed against her neck now, feeling the belonging bodies tremble. Without realizing it, her arms went around them too in effort to warm them a bit, because that was must be why they were shuddering.

But even though Sanji didn't realize what she did, Kaz, Alec and Cece did and their heads snapped up with looks that immediately changed from hopelessness to the opposite. Hope. Their gazes touched her to the core, it felt like she was hit by a hammer and her eyes become bigger and bigger. The damn in her heart finally broken in jubilation; that was what it had been trying to tell her all the time, Sanji realized.

They were real! She was still alive...but that meant...suddenly her eyes began to sting and she started to tremble forcefully...tears were rolling down her cheek while Sanji moved her right arm a bit to touch Kaz's face, to move down the familiar lines of his cheekbones, his full mouth and his nose...shakily she continued doing the same with Cece and Alec. Their faces shining with light and hope by now but they still were waiting for her to speak. They needed to hear her voice, needed her to say their names, to be completely convinced not to have lost her.

It was as if Sanji felt what they were waiting for and actually she did. So felt so close to them. But she still didn't dare to believe herself. With such a tiny voice that they could hardly catch it, she looked into their eyes and asked:

"Kaz? Cece? Alec? Is it ...is it really you? You are dead, you left me..."

Closing her eyes , sobs wrecked her body when three pair of arms strongly hugged her full of joy and relief . They were crying together without being ashamed because of it.

* * *

"Sanni!" Kaz whispered when she snuggled closer to get comfortable and he knew she didn't want to let him go ever again, just as he didn't want to ever loose her again. She looked up and met his searching gaze. His eyes were a dark, stormy blue now and full of emotions, her breath caught in her throat of what she saw in their depths.

Kaz held her gaze while taking down all his defences, giving her access to his very soul. He stared at her intently, almost wildly. Breathless she looked back with a similar look upon her face. She didn't dare move because she was suddenly afraid that a single movement would destroy everything. Afraid that he would just disappear, leaving her all alone, again.

Slowly Kaz lowered his head until his lips were only millimetres from her own; as if he were asking for permission he stopped for a second and looked up into her glittering eyes again with something like hesitancy shining in his own. Sanji let her dark eyelashes fall down and leaned against the muscular transgenic as he softly touched his lips to hers.

This simple touch took their breath away and left both of them feeling dizzy. Incredulous they looked at each other. Sanji saw his gaze shift to her mouth again and fire began to blaze in his eyes .Tensing in anticipation, she shuddered, as Kaz didn't let go of her gaze when he went back to touching her lips. This time the kiss wasn't soft but full of passion and wildness.

She almost moaned when she felt his hard body against hers and breathless she moved her mouth to kiss him back. His tongue caught her off guard when it slipped into her mouth without any warning. A firework exploded inside her when their tongues met for the first time in ages. Blind and deaf to anything beside the feeling of being together again, they were lost in their own little world.

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_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything to do with Dark Angel. But I do own my original characters and nobody can make me get rid of them:)_

_A/N: Tatarata...I am honored to present you...the fourth chapter of Reunion! ;)_


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